Do we know the full details of this API or is there something nefarious it can do we’re unaware of? Remember several years ago they discovered the webcam can be enabled on Macs without the light turning on? I know this is iOS/iPadOS, but as a consumer I’d like to know what it can do specifically. Or did I miss something?
iPad Camera Multitasking
71–80 of 160 posts
Re: iPad Camera Multitasking
#72the worst kind i think is the special entitlement whatsapp and other popular messaging apps get for abusing voip push notifications (not related to an actual voip call, but still waking up the app).
Remember that one time when Apple let Uber record your screen even in background?
https://www.macrumors.com/2017/10/05/uber-removing-apple-gra...
Re: iPad Camera Multitasking
#73Do we know the full details of this API or is there something nefarious it can do we’re unaware of? Remember several years ago they discovered the webcam can be enabled on Macs without the light turning on? I know this is iOS/iPadOS, but as a consumer I’d like to know what it can do specifically. Or did I miss something?
It looks slightly risky because an app can continue to use the webcam after being backgrounded. I can imagine nefarious apps tricking a user into streaming their webcam for hours after using the app once.
Apple probably decided that was safe enough only if the app has been through some extra review to ensure it has a clear UI so the user understands they are still streaming video somewhere.
Re: iPad Camera Multitasking
#74So this explains why I can’t use the front camera of my iPhone while streaming mobile games?
It’s always been a limitation on iOS.
Re: iPad Camera Multitasking
#75Earlier quoted context omitted.
It is fair, if Apple uses one or very few select developers in bringing a feature to the market. But after a certain point when the feature is rolled out in production of a very popular app in a way that it is visible to exist to everyone, they should be very transparent about it and clearly document it. And make it available for development, even if getting approval to deploy an application based on it might be a se…
So it’s not fair. Why should it be though.
We might be missing out a lot of good apps. To get really good and innovative apps, a lot of developers need to be able to experiment with a features to develop good ideas and implement them.
Re: iPad Camera Multitasking
#76Earlier quoted context omitted.
So the pandemic hit, use of teleconferencing apps shot up, and then security issues were identified in one of the most popular apps. How does that refute the comment you’re responding to?
For zoom in particular, they were calling the app e2e encrypted, when it wasn’t. That’s not a security issue, that is a lie. They were also (among other well known apps) caught snooping clipboard contents. That’s not something you do accidentally. What else... reinstalling themselves after you remove them? That’s 3 anti-user practices I can think of off the top of my head - no doubt there are more.
I think the point is that as a small app. The security issues aren’t seen or found. So any parent comments about bigger apps being worse than other apps doesn’t work in this case or have any solid evidence of in general.
Re: iPad Camera Multitasking
#77I don't understand how this is even a security concern. How does it matter whether an app accesses the camera while it is taking up the full screen vs half?
Two apps sit side by side. You see the camera dot. Which one is recording you?
Swipe down. Top left I usually see what is using the camera
Re: iPad Camera Multitasking
#78I wondered for a while why only FaceTime can keep camera on while I'm switching apps.
Not Google meet, Viber, Whatsapp, Signal.
There are many un-fair things with Apple's apps and some valued ones. I believe eventually this will get back at Apple.
Re: iPad Camera Multitasking
#79Another weird example is how Apple's own "Clips" app has a special private entitlement that bypasses the permission prompt for camera access. Would it hurt them so much to prompt for camera access the first time the app is started after installing it from the app store? I found that extremely worrying as it means I can no longer trust the app store to provide a safe sandboxed environment. Suddenly there's an app with…
I had to check that app and wow, what an amazing video editor.
Apparently it's a prosumer level app with quite a bit of power and depth: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lI8SWCUWMDY
However I agree that it's strange not asking for camera permissions. The app itself can be used with no camera.
It's also strange because even apple's own watch app that tracks your hand washing habits keeps asking for permission to track your location. Every now and then you will be reminded that hand washing reminder app tracks your location.
Re: iPad Camera Multitasking
#80Earlier quoted context omitted.
If it's your own hardware and app, what's wrong with just sideloading it using a dev cert?
Dev certs won't give you access to private entitlements
I'm not an iOS dev, so correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't these specifically App Store entitlements? So if you try to submit an app using an API covered by one without having been granted permission to it, that request will fail, but if you're just building and running on your own hardware you can use any private API you feel like?